This type of installation would be for where the database is located in a shared location on a “server” with the Addressinator! program run from each networked computer.
Use of Addressinator! with network Firebird engine is a 5 step process
| 1. | Ensure network uses TCPIP for communication between computers and server |
| 2. | Default installation of the stand-alone Addressinator! database and program is installed to server and key applied |
| 3. | Network Firebird database server is installed and configured |
| 4. | Configure access to the networked Addressinator! database on the server |
| 5. | Configure network computers |
1. Requirements prior to installation
The server and networked computers will communicate via TCPIP. If your network is not configured, please contact your local computer center.
NOTE: Firebird Server requires port 3050 open for local area connections to connect to the server. If you have a firewall on your server, open port 3050 before continuing.
Determine the server’s static internal IP address and the server’s computer name.
| A. | Determine the internal network IP Address of the server |
| a. | Open a command prompt (Start -> Run -> cmd) on the server and type |
ipconfig
| b. | Make a note of this server computer’s IP Address |
| c. | Confirm that the networked computers can “talk” to the server |
| i. | Open a command prompt on a networked computer other than this server and type ping and the ip address you noted above. |
| ii. | for example if the server's ip address was 192.168.1.8 you would type in |
ping 192.168.1.8
| iii. | If you get a timeout, there is an issue connecting via TCPIP. Please contact your local computer center to troubleshoot. |
| B. | Determine the server’s computer name by right-clicking on My Computer, and selecting Properties |
| a. | In the screenshot example below, the computer name is ayanovasupport |
2. Installation of Addressinator! to server
| A. | Download the Addressinator! installation file and to the server using the installation steps Basic Installation steps taking the defaults |
| B. | As recommended - take all defaults – install to the suggested program path C:\Program Files\Ground Zero Tech-Works Inc\Addressinator |
| C. | Once installation is complete, run the Addressinator! program and confirm successful |
| • | your network multi-user Key MUST be applied before you configure for network use. |
| D. | Apply your Addressinator! network multi-user Activation Key to this stand-alone installation as per the key's steps |
| • | highlight key in the Activation Key email message |
| • | right-click and select Copy |
| • | in Addressinator!, select menu Help -> License -> Paste license key |
| • | confirm key applied successfully |
| E. | Exit out of Addressinator! program |
| F. | Do not allow anyone to run the Addressinator! program until configuration steps are completed. |
3. Installation and configuration of access via network Firebird database server
| A. | Using Windows Explorer, create a folder from which the networked Addressinator! database will be located |
| a. | For example: C:\AddressinatorData\ |
| B. | In Windows Explorer, move the ADDRESSINATOR.FDB file from C:\Program Files\Ground Zero Tech-Works Inc\Addressinator to this new folder |
| a. | you do not have to share this folder to networked users. The Firebird Server handles all requests without networked users having to have direct access. |
| C. | Download the network Firebird Server installation file from the link on the Addressinator! web site http://www.addressinator.com/download.htm |
| D. | Start the network Firebird database server installation |
| E. | Accept all defaults – do NOT deselect or select other than the defaults. |
| F. | Make sure Super Server binary is selected, and leave all other selections as shown |
| G. | Leave all selections checkmarked as shown in screenshot below. |
| H. | Once the network Firebird server installation is complete, move to the Firebird program directory C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_1_5 |
| I. | Using NotePad, open the file aliases.conf |
| a. | Do NOT use any other program to open and edit this file |
| b. | Enter the following text to the path where you moved the database to – for example |
ADDRESSINATOR = C:\AddressinatorData\ADDRESSINATOR.FDB
If where C:\AddressinatorData\ADDRESSINATOR.FDB is the folder and Addressinator database file (as you folder may be in a different location)
| c. | Save and close the aliases.conf file |
| J. | Reboot the computer and log in as the computer administrator again |
| K. | Confirm that the network Firebird server is running |
| a. | Open Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services |
| b. | Confirm both the Firebird Guardian Service and the Firebird Service are running, that the Firebird Guardian Service is set to Automatic and the Firebird Service is set to Manual as shown in screenshot below |
| c. | Close Services |
| d. | You will also note in Control Panel is the Firebird Service Control |
| e. | Double-click to open to confirm is running |
| f. | Close by selecting OK |
| L. | As the network Firebird server uses a default password that is known by all, you should change it. |
| a. | Open a command prompt (Start -> Run -> cmd) |
| b. | Move to the C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_1_5\bin directory by changing to that directory |
CD C:\Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_1_5\bin
| c. | Type (do not copy – will receive syntax error message if attempt to do so) |
gsec –user sysdba –password masterkey
| d. | You will now see a shell prompt |
GSEC>
| e. | Type |
modify sysdba –pw aya78787
| f. | aya78787 is an example password, type in your own |
| g. | make a note of this password as you will need to enter it into the Addressinator! configuration file |
| h. | Press the Enter key |
| i. | Type |
quit
| j. | Close the command prompt window |
| M. | Now set up access for networked computers as per the next step 4 |
4. Configure access for the Addressinator! program on the server
| A. | Using Windows Explorer, delete the existing Addressinator.exe.config file in C:\Program Files\Ground Zero Tech-Works Inc\Addressinator folder |
| B. | You may need to set your Windows Explorer settings to show file extensions |
| a. | Depending on the operating system, select Tool -> Folder Options |
| b. | Select the View tab |
| c. | Make sure Hide extensions for known file types is not check-marked and Show hidden files and folders is check-marked |
| d. | Select OK |
| e. | Now you can definitely see all of the files in the folder |
| f. | Delete the existing Addressinator.exe.config file |
| g. | Rename the Addressinator.exe.config.FIREBIRD_SERVER_VERSION file to Addressinator.exe.config |
| h. | Use NotePad to open this Addressinator.exe.config |
| i. | Do NOT use any other program to edit this file |
| ii. | Edit the sample IP Address to your server’s IP Address OR enter the server’s computer name |
| iii. | Edit the password to the password you set for the Firebird Server in the previous section |
| iv. | Save and close the file |
for example, if your server name is myserver and the password you set for the Firebird Server was 45mm33ht, than your Addressinator.exe.config file would look like
| C. | Delete the existing Addressinator! icon on your desktop and create new (otherwise you may get an error) |
| i. | Right-click on the desktop |
| ii. | Select New -> Shortcut |
| iii. | Browse to the location of the Addressinator folder and files that you copied to this networked computer’s local hard drive |
| iv. | Select Addressinator.exe |
| v. | Select OK |
| vi. | Select Next |
| vii. | Type a name “Addressinator! 4” |
| viii. | Select Finish |
| D. | Double-click on this new Addressinator! icon on your desktop to run the program and connect to the networked database |
| E. | Because this is now accessing a networked database, the Addressinator! log in screen will display |
| i. | First time the Addressinator! log in screen loads, it may take a few seconds – it will come up. |
| ii. | The default administrative username to first log in is "manager" with the password "letmein" (no quotations and in lower case) |
| F. | Refer to the section How to Create Network Users and Set Security Access Rights |
| G. | If you receive an error instead of the Addressinator! login screen, go back through each step and confirm in case of a spelling or path location error |
5. Configuration of networked computers
| A. | Uninstall any previous Addressinator! 4 installation on the networked computers |
| B. | Install Microsoft .NET Framework 2 (or higher) and applicable service patches. |
| i. | Check if already installed by opening Control Panel -> Add/remove Programs -> scroll to determine if Microsoft .NET Framework 2 (or higher) is installed |
| ii. | Refer to the Microsoft downloads web page http://www.microsoft.com/downloads if you do not already have this installed. If not displayed under Popular Downloads, enter Microsoft .NET Framework 2 in the Search for a Download section |
| C. | Be sure computer has been rebooted if just installed |
| D. | Copy the folder and all its files C:\Program Files\Ground Zero Tech-Works Inc\Addressinator from the server’s hard drive to local hard-drive of each networked computer |
NOTE: Do NOT run the Addressinator! executable from a networked location – the program files must reside on each computer’s local hard drive
NOTE: If you did not move the ADDRESSINATOR!.FDB database file but instead copied it, be sure to delete it in the program folder as it is no longer needed.
| E. | Create a desktop shortcut to the Addressinator.exe |
| ix. | Right-click on the desktop |
| x. | Select New -> Shortcut |
| xi. | Browse to the location of the Addressinator folder and files that you copied to this networked computer’s local hard drive |
| xii. | Select Addressinator.exe |
| xiii. | Select OK |
| xiv. | Select Next |
| xv. | Type a name “Addressinator! 4” |
| xvi. | Select Finish |
| F. | Run Addressinator! by double-clicking the Addressinator! desktop icon and confirm successful login. |
The following is not part of the steps – but a reminder :
Moving, editing or copying a live database file will cause database problems – even corruption.
If you need to move or copy the ADDRESSINATOR.FDB database file once you have configured the Firebird Server, you must first:
| • | Ensure all Addressinator! users are not accessing |
| • | Open Control Panel -> Firebird Server Manager -> select Stop |
Refer to the Backup & Recovery section in this Help file on how to backup the Addressinator! database file when using the Firebird Server configuration.